B. Nyékhelyi Dorottya: Középkori kútlelet a budavári Szent György téren (Monumenta Historica Budapestinensia 12. kötet Budapest, 2003)

Abstract

Between 1787-1791 a three-storied palace with late Baroque facade was erected for the Teleki brothers, László and József. The building was taken over by the State and in 1892 the archduke, Joseph of Habsburg, bought it and had it reconstructed in the style of art Nouvo and Neobaroque. In the Second World War the upper floor was severely damaged. The remains of the building were blown up in 1968. The well was discovered when the deep cellar of the former palace was being cleaned and a square-shaped cut was being excavated at the southern wall of the north western side of the cellar. After clearing away the several meters thick debris containing large stones real archaeological work could be started. The work was commenced in the middle of July 1999 and after a month of winterbreak it was completed in January 2000. The cut of the well was square-shaped and it extended 13.7 meters below the rock surface probably being the bottom floor of the cellar - being 157 metres above the sea level itself. The well had a wet muddy infilment from 148 metres above sea level down to the bottom thus it preserved organic materials and seeds of plants. The large amount of mud was carefully sorted out, it was kept in large plastic bags and the bulk was floated out. There was about 25-40 kgs of soil in each bag. The restoration and the complete study of the collection of finds has not been finished yet, therefore it is only some groups of them, the ones having special links with our theme, that can be published in the present essay. Several casting pots were unearthed, showing a wide variety concerning their size: some were 5cms high, whereas others were 10-15 cms. In some of them traces of sulphur and quicksilver could be identified. The distilling vessel reminding of an albarello glazed inside and having a lid with two handles and a small hole count as a speciality. Among the lids it is worth to draw attention to the flat and the „milk-jar type" ones. The latter one has parallels in the book by Agricola on mining and metallurgy, where among the depictions of distillers used for gaining quick-silver there is a similar lid in the background. The main bulk of the finds coming from the well is made up of